Ace Attorney - Easily Unjust
by Remunzel
Summary: It was supposed to be a trial like all the others, but when Prosecutor Bardon enters Phoenix's life, the attorney finds himself in a situation where he can no longer retreat. In a crescendo of uneasiness and torment, Phoenix Wright finds the solution to a series of mysteries that had been stayed unsolved for almost fifteen years. (no ships) Developed as a real Ace Attorney game.
1. Turnabout Betray: First Day

**NoA:** I started writing this fic long before I first played Apollo Justice, so it takes place in an universe where Phoenix doesn't lose his badge or, at least, lose it after the events narrated here.

I structured the story to be as similar as possible to the original cases, hope you'll enjoy.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Ace Attorney nor its characters. Well. Its main characters. Alicia, Patricia, Marco, Jeremy and Leslie all belong to me. Wooooah. Me so powerful.

 **Turnabout Betray: First Day**

The weather was hot. Much hotter than Phoenix expected it to be, but you can't be too polemic when you decide to move around full dressed in the middle of July.

«Nick! I'm hungry!».

Phoenix sighed loudly, passing a tired hand over his tired face. Even his ever-spiking hair seemed to be suffering the heat, looking quite down. He started considering getting a summer version of his attorney attire, at the moment. Some short-sleeve shirt, not-sleeve jacket, Bermuda and flip-flop attire that could make him feel better and possibly not too stupid.

«I offered you an orange back at the studio. You refused», he explained calmly.

«But I wasn't hungry then, I'm hungry now!» replied the high-pitched voice.

Phoenix laughed a bit. «The great medium Maya Fey, heir of the spiritual channelling school of the Kurain Village, has lived twenty whole minute of her life without hunger!? Stop saying lies, you liar, nobody believes you».

Maya faked wrath, sticking her tongue out and moving faster. Her long black hair flied behind her with every step she took and her ribbon bounced frenetically, like a bunny tail. She was quite cute when irritated. A little bunny-Maya. They could rearranged her front hair to look like ears and she'd be perfect. Phoenix suppressed a giggle.

«Well, you should believe me», Maya pestered him. «Seriously tho, I'm really going to die any moment if you don't buy me anything. And please notice the "You – buy – me" part».

Phoenix groaned, his giggle smashed by the terrible heat plus Maya combo. «And here I thought you were being cute… We're not here to play, Maya. We're on a case».

The tired eyes of the tired attorney suddenly shone like two little black fires saying that magical word. _Case_. Phoenix Wright was on a case. He loved his work as an attorney and the mere idea of being working on something new made him feel good. Happy. Accomplished. It had been three years since his first trial and still he felt as energetic as the first day. Even more! At least now he didn't had to defend one of his best friends for their thirtieth murder accusation.

Maya waited for him to reach her again, then grabbed his arm, putting him out of his trance.

«Remind me what this is all about, Nick».

Phoenix cleared his throat, glad that she asked. «Patricia Jerkigan, 23. The body was found in the Marco Rossi's patisserie with evident signs of suffocation. The main suspect is Alicia Greenway, an employee of the patisserie aaaand-».

«And?».

«And Jerkigan's supposed bestfriend».

«So it's a angsty crime. A crime committed by hate and love. A terrible tragedy caused by envy and betray».

«And we don't believe not even a little bit of it».

«Not even a single bit… do we?».

Phoenix stopped in front of a large blue door, just slightly lighter than his suit. The sun was right over their head, the floor felt like lava under his feet and Maya's rebellious stomach made itself known. He really hoped the police centre had an air conditioner or something because either he died for the weather or Maya was going to eat him alive.

«We're listening to what the defendant has to say» he claimed, opening the door for Maya to go in, «and just once we're done we can really decide whether we believe it or not. For the moment let's say "no"».

«Because you're a true-friendship believer?», demanded the medium-in-training, turning her big eyes to him.

«No, because this way I'm more motivated!» answered the man, bringing a cute smile on his assistant's lips.

The two walked in silence to the front desk, asking permission to see the defendant. It was easier to breath now that that atrocious summer flea was left behind the closed door of the central, the smiles came more natural and even Phoenix's hair found the force to defy gravity once again.

«Let's start a beat» proclaimed the hitch-pitched voice of Maya, breaking the religious silence they were in.

«A beat?».

«Yeah. If the defendant is a strange guy, you buy me food?».

«And if she isn't?» asked Phoenix, turning his eyes to the sky, searching help.

The girl seemed to ponder the possibility for the first time now. «If she isn't… well, you buy me food!».

«This is not a beat, then!» sighed the poor attorney. «And it's also unfair… When did we even get a normal defendant to begin with?».

«Sister Iris wasn't actually all that bad» said Maya after a little thinking.

«She was the worst of them all» replied Phoenix, faster than he would have hoped. He hadn't found the strength to explain to Maya his relationship with Iris yet. For some reason he felt embarrassment every time the subject was called upon and the pain that those memories left in him were still too fresh for being recalled so easily. No, he needed more time to explain to the young Fey why Iris wasn't a normal defendant; not for him, at least.

«Okay» whispered the girl, letting the argument slid by. The glow in Phoenix's eyes kept her quite. «Oh look, we're arrived! Are you ready to buy me food?».

Phoenix sighed again, glad that she let Iris be. He sit down on the chair on the left, offering Maya the one next to him. The door on the other side of the glass opened just then, giving them the chance to see Alicia Greenway for the first time; her hair was extremely messy, an intricate amount of curls of a pitch black that reached her shoulder; the eyes, of the same colour and partially hidden behind the thick glasses, were unbelievably vivid and curious for a young girl accused of murder and kept in prison; the mouth too was strangely pointed upward, to the freckled cheeks and the small nose.

«Nice to meet you. My name is Phoenix Wright, I'm an attorney».

The girl smiled if possibly even wider. The eyebrows reached the hairline. «Are you going to defend me!?».

«That depends on you… on whether we believe you or not» said the attorney, clearing his throat embarrassed.

«Oh, but you should! I'm innocent after all!» she scream back.

Maya laughed and Phoenix didn't even need to turn toward her to know what she was thinking. Another strange guy, what a scoop. His salary would have been assaulted by Maya once again and he could just watch in horror as the money would have lowered and lowered and lowered.

«My name is Alicia Greenway and I would never hurt a mosquito» mumbled the girl behind the glass, focusing the attention on her. She started laughing. «That's the reason why Leslie and Patricia always called me "Allie Goodway", because I've always been extremely good to everyone. Or at least I think… I've never returned a book late to the library, ever! And I always helped old ladies getting on the other side of the road. I wasn't given a beautiful face, but I make up for it with a gentle nature and a kind attitude!».

«And a little dose of modesty», Phoenix added smiling. There was something so honest about this girl that it reminded him of Maggey Byrde and her dreamy clumsiness.

«I think you're actually pretty cute, Alicia». Maya started making strange arm gestures that were supposed to be supportive but were more of a pain for the poor Wright sit next to her, his ribs repetitively tortured but the pointy elbows.

The girl darkened in embarrassment. «Oh, you're so nice, but don't worry: I know what I look like, you don't have to lie to me. Now, Patty was the real beauty between us». Suddenly she stopped speaking, a dense silence impregnating the air. Her eyes were getting watering, her voice sounded broken; a neat contrast to her cheerful self. «What happened to her is really horrible. She's always been very nice to me, allowing me the pleasure of her company even though she was so popular. I've always been a loser but she said she didn't care and stayed by my side. I was so happy every time she called me her best friend…».

«Oh, Alicia…».

Phoenix turned his gaze to Maya, tears starting to form at the edge of her eyes. She knew better than anyone else what loosing someone dear was like, Alicia's story must had hit her harder than it had done with Phoenix himself.

«Miss Greenway. I know it's hard but you should try to collect yourself and tell us what happened».

The girl tried to dry a tear, letting her glasses fall miserably in the process. She would have seemed very funny if it wasn't such a tragic situation. «Are you defending me?», she demanded, picking the squared glasses from the ground.

«I think I will». Phoenix nodded. His smile was bright, Alicia's was brighter.

«Really? Thank you, I was getting desperate. They told me no one would have wanted to defend me because everything indicated I was the culprit and trying to convince the judge otherwise would have been useless!».

«I'm subscribed to hopeless case, it seems».

«I don't know how to thank you…».

«Telling us all what you can should be enough».

«I was working in the patisserie, as always» gushed Alicia, a newly found energy rising inside her and straight out throughout her mouth. «Marco Rossi's patisserie. The boss was out for some "urgent mission-commission", as he likes to call his errands; I was the only one in the building, no costumer either. It was… about 08:00 in the morning, not more. Patricia rushed in and proclaimed that she had absolute need to use the storehouse, so I let her in. She begged me not to follow her, and I was working after all, so I never left my position. Then Jeremy entered the patisserie nearly thirty minutes later, asking me if I knew where Patricia was».

«Jeremy…?», Maya questioned with a perplex face, interrupting the defendant.

Alicia gulped, before answering. She pretended to be as cool and easy with this answer as she had always been before but something in her tone betrayed her and her nervousness became evident: «Jeremy Cornell. He is… Patricia's boyfriend. _Was_ Patricia's boyfriend…He entered the patisserie and said that he was looking for Patty; if I'd known where she'd gone, I should have said it to him immediately. I didn't see a reason to lie so I just told him: Patricia was in the storehouse and wanted to be left alone. I tried to convince him not to go in but he was taller and stronger than me... He basically burst through the bottom of the door… Than we saw it…».

«Miss Jerkigan's corpse?», Wright asked when Alicia stopped her narration.

«Yeah…» was her only answer.

«So it was Mr. Cornell that called the police».

«He believed I didn't want to show him the warehouse because I was hiding the corpse in it. I was the only person in the patisserie at the time of the crime and… and the cord around Patty's neck was the jumping cord I've been using these last years to keep fit… I never went into that storehouse, I don't know how this happened but I… I didn't do it… Patty… Patty was my best friend, I would have never done something so horrible to her…».

«Don't cry, don't cry! Here. Have a magical tissue». Maya pulled an imaginary tissue out of her sleeve, faking a giving gesture that could have never happened, given the glass dividing her from Miss Greenway. The latter's mouth corners curved anyway, the sadness just a bit less evident. In this moment Alicia Greenway looked like a proper twenty-three years old just accused of homicide, but though Phoenix would have never admitted it, he preferred the strangely solar Alicia better.

«She was the best of us all, but now she's gone. I've only got Leslie now…».

«Leslie?». Maya sure had a strange interest into one-name-composed questions.

«Didn't I tell you? Me and Patty, we had another best friend. Her names' Leslie Michaels and she's so cool I still can't believe she became my friend. She works in the fruit shop at the end of the road but when she heard what was going on she came running, trying to get me out of the car».

Phoenix gulped. «A suiciding move».

«She tried to defend me to the very end. People had to take her back because she was against the policemen driving me away».

Maya laughed, encouraging the girl in front of her with one of hers "true-friendship tantrums", but Phoenix was deep in thought. While Leslie was sure enough the most important person to Alicia right now, she shouldn't have been the only one; being Patricia her other best friend, the relationship between her and Patricia's boyfriend Jeremy should have been strong, and instead something brought the girl to the conclusion that only Leslie would have taken care of her from now on.

«What's your relationship with Mr. Cornell?» he asked out of the blue.

«P-P-Pardon?», asked she back, turning a strange tone of red.

«He was your best friend's boyfriend but he found no problem accusing you. He didn't believe you».

«His girlfriend had just died, Nick, he was probably just shocked», proposed Maya.

«Me and Jeremy were very good friends. I admired him a lot and tried my best never to disappoint him. He was very popular too, you know?».

«And what's his opinion about you?», Phoenix asked again.

The girl went silent, her face took a worried expression. She were seriously pondering the answer, which left Phoenix dubious: in these few minutes they'd spent together he came to the conclusion that Alicia Greenway was the most honest, spontaneous and simple girl he had ever met and if an answer didn't come out straight from her heart, then something was wrong. He just had to know what. _What_ was keeping her from talking.

«We're now leaving», he decided to say instead, raising from the chair. Maya followed him.

«Are we going to the patisserie?».

«Yes. I would like to see the crime scene and pay visit to this "police-opposing" lady as well. Let's go, Maya».

The medium-in-training jumped on the spot, turning briefly toward Alicia before screaming a loud "Don't worry, we're gonna save you for sure!". Phoenix bended and moved out of the room. He didn't say it out loud but the thing he really wanted to do at the moment was talking with the only person who could have given him all the answers Alicia wasn't able to answer herself. The other face of that blood-tinted medal: Jeremy Cornell.

«Do you remember when I said you would have bought me food if you'd lost the bet and you actually lost?».

«More than I'd like to admit».

«Well Nick, your time has come».

Maya's eyes sparkled with a dangerous light as they inspected the sweets exposed on the shop window. They move rapidly and ferocious from a savoury pie to a profiterole, than back again to a muffin. As the police cars and the agents weren't there, she kept staring at the sweets.

«I'd love to do it, believe me, I'd really love», he lied, showing his attorney badge to one of the policemen, «but the shop won't open until all this issue of the killing is cleared».

Maya pouted and crossed her arms. «But this is unfair!».

Suddenly, a voice reached them from behind. It smelled like lilies and vanilla.

«Don't tell me, young lady. I can't leave the shop for one-just-one second and all my hard work is gone. Women don't like men who had even one-just-one homicide happening in their workplace, you know?».

Both of them turned in direction of the voice; it belonged to what looked like a trim and snobbish man, one of those _lady-killers that should stay at least three meters away from Maya, thank you_. His head was full of golden locks and the constant smirk on his face gave his hazel eyes a note of slyness and vivacity that –Phoenix was sure- caused many heart attacks. Even the clothes were perfect and looking at them also quite expensive. Phoenix wondered how he managed to wear them, tho, since it was extremely hot and they were extremely covering.

«My name's Phoenix Wright, may I ask yours?» he demanded, even if the slight accent in his voice suggested him the answer already.

«Marco Rossi, boss of the Marco Rossi's patisserie, thank you very much. Are you here for the sweets, for the crime… or for the hot boss?».

«The sweets!» screamed Maya, very loudly, at the same moment as Phoenix shouted «The crime».

Mr. Rossi blinked perplex, before opening in a large and maraudish grin. «I understand, you're both here for me, after all».

«Th-this is not what I said». Phoenix was stuttering, trying his best to avoid any contact with this strange man who was now begging for a hug. Maya, on the contrary, had no problem at all throwing herself into his arms, but Maya was Maya and that was no surprise. Not that he didn't bother the attorney nonetheless.

«You shouldn't run away like that, leaving me to hug one-just-one of you. Women don't like men who run away from them».

«He's right, Nick!», Maya's voice came from between the jacket of the employer. «That's why no one likes you, bleh bleh bleh».

«I'd like to look at the murder scene, now» Phoenix said, ignoring both his useless assistant and the creepy latin lover. «In quality of lawyer-».

«That's exactly because you're a lawyer that I'd rather have you splashed on my than inside my patisserie».

Wright found himself at loss of words for a moment, thinking that maybe if he'd drank only water for the next twenty years then finally he would have been rewarded with the acquaintance of a normal entity. «Pardon?!» was the only word he managed to formulate.

«If I can stop you from letting Alicia rot in prison… then I will!». Maybe not even twenty years were enough. Maybe not even forty would have done.

«We're not here to let Alicia rot in prison. We're her attorneys, our work is the total opposite, we're gonna save her and eat all her exquisite sweets!».

Marco turned his head to the girl still wrapped around his torso, her eyes shining. It looked like he believed Maya, because his grin lost a bit of his malice and his shoulder got tenderer.

«What a bless, I thought you were the prosecutor. I don't like people who don't like Alicia».

«Actually, I like Alicia quite a lot!» the young girl erupted, finally moving out of the hug.

«I know, she's amazing, isn't she?».

«She's just so sweet!».

«And kind!».

«And honest!».

«And you should eater her marrons glacés, they're the best of the world!».

«Really?».

Phoenix tried to suffocate a sigh in the suit, taking advantage of the distraction of both aliens to enter the building. He never found out if Miss Greenway's marrons glacés were really the best of the world but he really didn't care. He needed to check the murder scene or the trial the day after would have been a total massacre. In spite of the fact that Marco Rossi turned out to actually like the defendant, if he had appeared the day after as the witness Phoenix would have thrown himself out of the window. The way the man looked at him made Phoenix feel so… naked… He shivered. The only good thing was that the cold disgust was making him feel better about the weather. It didn't feel too hot anymore.

He put little attention to the patisserie's main room, moving as fast as he could to the storage. And then he started feeling nauseous.

Patricia Jerkigan's body was lying lifeless on the ground with a thick cord tied around her neck and a bunch of glass shredders scattered in her surroundings. The storage was a mess, like someone had used it to play football. With the boxes as the targets.

«I think is time to begin my investigation» the attorney said to himself. «Hey, agent!».

«Yes?».

«Could you please take photos of the crime scene for me, please?».

«Of course».

«Thank you very much».

Bending to the policeman, Phoenix finally moved to the centre of the action, ready to bring home every evidence available. He began by standing right next to the corpse. The shards of glasses were scattered all over the place, yet it seemed that none of it had hurt the victim, maintain their crystalline colour. On the contrary, the jumping cord used to suffocate the poor Patricia was completely dirty: some yellowish and sticky substance covered both the handles of the cord. Strangely enough, the rest of it was immaculate.

«What the hell is this?» Phoenix pondered, watching the substance closely. Was it… «…cream? Is it cream? It sure looks like it?».

He turned his gaze few meters away, spotting a series of fallen boxes containing profiteroles; some of these were broken, a great deal of cream, chocolate and pistachio melting down to the ground, helped by the devastating heat.

«I feel like one of those, at the moment…» he whispered; then he realized that if he really was a profiterole then Maya would have eaten him and the thought wasn't so appealing anymore. «Better go back to work… I just wonder who could do something so bad».

«I know, it's a total waste when girls so beautiful go so easily».

Phoenix jumped scared by the voice, tripping on a box and falling to the ground. Behind him, Mr. Rossi laughed devilish at him. «You sure get scared for a nothing».

«Nick, are you hurt?» asked Maya, trying her best not to laugh too. At least she was hugging that pathetic excuse for a breather anymore. «Hey, it's that profiteroles? I'm happy!».

«Maya stop, you cannot tamper the evidences!».

Mr. Rossi laughed louder, without control. «Because what do you think you're doing?».

 _I swear I hate this man_ , Phoenix thought. «Did you know the victim?», Phoenix asked.

The man stopped laughing, maintaining his constant smirk yet. He posed his eyes on the blonde girl lying lifelessly in his storage, the signs of the cord causing a terrible effect on the whiteness of her skin.

«Not directly».

«She was Alicia's friend so she must have been a very good girl too, don't you think?», Maya asked, before stuffing her mouth with sweets once more. Which part of "that's evidence" didn't she understand?

«I wouldn't be so sure» murmured the employer, looking, if possible, even slyer.

«What do you mean?». Phoenix didn't like that look.

Mr. Rossi scratched his neck before answering. «Kiss me and I tell you».

«Come again!?».

«Kiss me and I tell you».

«I'm sorry but I don't-I don't… I'm sorry but this is ag-against the law not help a la-lawyer do his work!».

His face became as red as a pepper and he tried his best not to hide behind Maya –who looked kind of purplish too. Just few meters away, the man moved closer.

«Don't be scared, baby. It's my job to make sure everyone is at ease».

«Nick, I didn't know you were interested in men», Maya commented. Her ears were basically on fire and instead of helping him out she just squatted down covering her face with her bare hands. «I won't judge you, don't worry. You're still the same old grumpy Nick to me!».

The lawyer didn't know what to say. A part of him wanted to know as much as he could, the other had already catalogued Mr Marco Rossi as "an entirely and undoubtedly different and dangerous entity" long ago, putting him as far away as possible from the entirely and undoubtedly different and dangerous lips of the entirely and undoubtedly different and dangerous man. It wasn't even about gender, he had already kissed a man –a long story he sure wasn't ready to tell anyone yet, _expecially the giantly wide-mouthed Maya_ \- this man just really crept the hell out of him and he liked his internal hell.

«You American sure are strange. Does physical contact really afraid you that much? Cavolo… That's the reason why you're so cold when it comes to one on one-just-one affairs».

Phoenix kept staying frozen on his spot. Was the man still laughing at him? Actually, he didn't know whether he was more irritated by the idea or kissing him or being laughed of by him. In doubt, he just kept hating him. And staying frozen.

«Hey, Marco!» Maya shouted. The little animal was calling him by his first name already… «Do you perhaps like Nick?».

«What!?» was Phoenix's immediate reaction, his heat elevating again.

Mr. Rossi laughed and pass a hand through his curly hair. «I'm a lover… of love». And he became extremely serious saying his last remark, more serious that he had even being before. That's way Phoenix hated him so much. That's exactly why.

«Are you going to be a witness at the trial, tomorrow?», examined the medium. Phoenix was glad she let the argument slid by.

Mr. Rossi scratched his neck again. «No, because I wasn't present at the time of the crime. But I'm cheering for you from the gallery. Alicia would have never done that».

Thinking about it, the attorney realized he didn't know Mr. Rossi's whereabouts during that period of time, so he decided to question him further.

«Alicia also said you weren't here. May I ask you were did you wander to, instead of taking care of the shop?».

He massaged his hair, looking relaxed. «You know», he began, «I don't really like rotting in the same place for a long time».

Phoenix watched him carefully. He seemed at peace with himself. Maybe too much. Maybe way too much.

«You met a girl, didn't you?», Phoenix concluded.

«I met a lot of girls. Not one-just-one. Accidenti, they were so beautiful! Leslie got mad at me because I was distracting her clients but if you ask me, it was worth it".

Both Maya and Phoenix sighed, hoping to get more information, but apparently he really didn't know anything. Then Phoenix realized. «Haven't we heard Leslie's name already?».

«She's Alicia's other best friend. She's… not interesting at all».

 _I would give an arm to be as uninteresting as her and pull you away from me_ , Phoenix thought.

«Weren't you a love lover, Marco?».

«Yes, my little flower, but even I know were to give up. Anyway, she sure knows more about Patricia than I do, you should go see her. I can give you her fruit stand address».

«That's very kind of you».

«In change of a kiss».

«I don't want to kiss you!».

«Nick, don't be rude».

Phoenix groaned. He closed his eyes, hoping for this madness to end. Maya, seeing that this kiss was not happening, went back to her previous position next the profiteroles, singing how good it was to tampering more with tampered evidences. Marco Rossi giggled.

«Do you perhaps happen to know where Mr. Cornell lives, too?».

«Do you mean Jeremy?». Mr. Rossi shook his head. «Looking for him is useless, he's probably talking with the prosecutor and won't leave the police station».

 _What a shame_ , Phoenix muttered, hopelessly. «But now that we're talking about it… You said something about the prosecutor in this case, when we first met. Do you have information about him?».

He would have never thought it was possible, but it really was: Mr. Rossi was laughing even louder than before. «Oh my. Ragazzo, you're an attorney and are asking a simple watcher who the prosecutor will be? You sure suck at your job!».

«I-I-I… I just asked you if you knew anything!». Phoenix decided it was better to bit his own tongue, otherwise he would have eaten Mr. Rossi alive. _The same thing he want to do with me_ , he thought. Than he realised and tried his best not to suffocate as Miss Jerkigan had. «I haven't heard anything about him yet».

«It's not him, it's her», Marco explained, regaining his composure. «That's why I thought you were the prosecutors. I haven't seen her very well but she was in the car that took Jeremy away. She had black air and a very unfashionable clothing so when I saw the little flower over there I thought it was her».

«I'm the little flower!», Maya yelled, jumping into the conversation.

«You're more of a balloon fish if you continue eating all those sweets. Stop already».

The black-haired girl giggled and made a peace sign. «The last one, I swear».

She bit the profiterole with strength, its chocolate heart melting around her finger. There was a moment of silence, followed by a strange scream that scared both men. Instead of savouring her food as she should have, Maya was standing open-mouthed with tears forming in her eyes, the profiterole thrown with few grace on the ground.

«Ahi! I bit something hard» she managed to say with her tongue sticking out. «Am I hurt?».

Phoenix reached the ground and the sweet, taking it with two fingers. He knew food quite well and it didn't cut. Yet, inside that little piece of chocolate and pastry laid what looked like a square pearl, some very shiny and clear jewellery. «What is this?».

«Per l'amor del cielo, it's the first time I see something like that. Was it in my sweets? How did it even ended up in there?».

«So you have no idea what this is» Phoenix questioned, analysing the little gem.

«Is nobody paying attention to my wound?».

«You're just a bit red, Maya, shut up».

«Let's not the way men talk to women» Marco Rossi pouted. «However, no. I have no idea what it is, but I remember Leslie and Alicia having a discussion about pearls not too long ago».

«Leslie's name keep bumping into any conversation», was the comment of the medium.

«It does. Maybe it's really time we go talking with this uninteresting yet police-opposing woman».

The trio moved out of the room, going back to the patisserie's entrance. Marco gave them indications how to reach their destination, before putting his jacket on. «I'm not staying it with a corpse», he said.

«Thank you very much for your help. You're amazing, Marco!».

«The pleasure's all my, my dear».

 _Yes it is_ , was Phoenix's though, «See you tomorrow then», was what he said.

«Sì. You better win that trial, because Alicia is one-just-one in a million and if you fail I won't ever forgive you. Ever never».

«Don't worry». Phoenix's eyes shone, a bright light that irradiated from his face to all his body, giving he a new and powerful energy. «I won't».

The market was full of people and incredibly hot. Suddenly Phoenix missed the police station with all his being. The suit was becoming his second skin and one was already more than enough. The idea of getting a summer attire was sounding smarter and smarter in his mind.

«I can't see the fruit stand».

«Don't worry Maya, it's near. We have still some curves to take».

The people hit them at every step, transforming a simple walk into a state affair. And the sun was not helping at all. Phoenix cursed the old man who just bumped into him under his breath, trying to recollect himself. The good part was that they'd made a lot of progress with the case: they found many good evidences and, he was sure, some decisive one; and yes, the fact that Marco Rossi wasn't going to testifyturned him into an happy attorney. He sure was on their side, but there was something Larrish about him that made him look like the worst possible witness. He hoped Jeremy Cornell wouldn't have been too much of an effort.

«Ah, I see it, I see it!». Maya grabbed his arm with her hand, pointing the other one at a stand nearby.

It was a humble stall, a wood stand without any sign, but the fruit looked delicious. Like all the alike around it was surrounded by people, yet Leslie Michaels could be spotted quite easily thanks to her height. The only girl standing on the other side of the stall was indeed a very tall girl, with light-brown hair pulled behind in a horse-tail and sharp yet tired green eyes. She seemed bothered by something, angry too, but Phoenix came to the conclusion that it was only normal, considering that one of her best friend was murdered and the other was accused of said murder.

«Leslie Michaels, are you not?» he asked, approaching her.

«Do you find any good reason why a costumer could be standing here? Then yes, I'm her».

There was a sudden blink in Phoenix's mind and he pondered whether she was upset of the homicide or just plain irritating. Apparently, Alicia Greenway wasn't very good at choosing her friends.

«May I talk with you for a moment?».

«Wait your turn».

The situation was getting more and more exasperating, but Phoenix wasn't a patient man, not after all what he already had to deal with that day, at least.

«My name's Phoenix Wright, I'm working on the killing case of Patricia Jerkigan».

Leslie slowed down, giving the customer his apples with unnatural calm. She bit her downer lip. «Are you a lawyer, she asked?».

«I am», he answered and for a moment he felt accomplished. Just for a moment. The next one he was covered in watermelon juice and completely soaked.

«Then I have nothing to tell you», the girl calmly replied, cleaning her hands from the juice of the watermelon she had just smashed over Phoenix's head and turning back to the next customer. «Do you need anything else?».

«Red sure doesn't sweet you, Nick» Maya murmured, a bit worried but mostly amused by the situation.

«Shut up».

With delicacy, the attorney grabbed the watermelon stuck on his head and removed it. What a waste of food it was, but if he wanted to stay positive, now he wasn't feeling so hot anymore.

«It's the second time we're attacked for being attorneys», Maya commented, tacking this chance to devour part of the still eatable watermelon.

The seller suddenly turned to them. Slowly, naturally. «Wait. Are you attorneys?».

«Actually, I'm a medium in training», Maya explained, «but my friend Nick is working as a full-time attorney and he's better than he looks like».

«Thanks, Maya».

Leslie stared at them for a while, immobile, than turned back to the other side of the stand. «I'm sorry but I have to leave for a moment», she informed the clients. She turned back again and walked nearer Phoenix, who felt the urge to take a step back again. She didn't comment on his sudden retreat, offering him a towel to clean himself instead.

«I'm sorry for the watermelon. I thought you were the prosecution». The tone of her voice made it seem like she wasn't sorry at all.

Maya smiled brightly. «Well, I guess that if you let me finish the watermelon without making me pay for it, I can even forgive you.

«It's just that I can't stand people hurting Allie and tend to be grittier than necessary when it comes to her». Phoenix had a hard time trying to imagine this apathetic girl showing off some kind of wrathful attitude, but then the point where she hit him with the watermelon started to hurt and the police-opposing scene come back to mind.

«She told us about your row with the police. You really do care about her».

«We've been knowing each other for all our lives» she explained. «We went to the same elementary school, than the same middle and high school. She's like a scar, you can't remove it even if you want».

 _What a delightful simile_ , he thought.

«She doesn't seem a girl capable of killing», Maya said, her mouth stuffed with watermelon.

«She's too dumb for it» Leslie agreed.

«Are you sure you consider her a friend? Because you sound… insulting…».

Phoenix hoped his last remark hadn't granted him another hit with something blunter than a watermelon –like a pineapple perhaps- but her face remained illegible.

«Allie is a good girl» she said at last. «I've yet to find someone as nice and gentle as her. But she's also very naïve and naivety is _not_ that great quality people like to pass it as. You end up defendant in a killing if you are too naïve».

«Still, you're very harsh with her».

«I know, but I want her to learn. People have been taking advantage of her all her life. But a thing is the seven-years-old boy who paint your face blue just to bother you, a completely different thing is a group of teenagers faking love in order to have your notes and look smart in from of the teacher just thanks to you. I can't stand watching her hurt anymore… Once their true nature is revealed, she still can't find the force to hate them, she fells for every excuse. "It was all a joke", "It's not our fault you're stupid",… "It's your fault"… It's about time she learns who she can trust and who she cannot trust. I can't stand watching her hurt anymore… ».

Maya gulped, sad. «Is it… something that really happened?».

«Yes, and it's not even the worst one. Were Patricia still alive, she would have told you many other stories» Leslie replied. The tone was still soft and placid but an intense rage came out of her throat, a silent protest that burned like fire. He would have never dared put her loyalty to her friend into discussion ever again. It was the purest and most intense demonstration of thoughtfulness he could have asked for.

«I understand how you feel« Phoenix said, before he could stop himself. The memories of all those years spent looking for Edgeworth came back to mind. «Seeing someone you care for suffer, trying your best to let them hear your voice, let them listen to you… but they're in too deep and can't listen. They can only miss, and miss again… And at the end you're two who suffer».

«Nick…».

«Miss Jerkigan's death is going to weight more than it should», he changed topic instead, putting the last part of the discussion at the end of his brain. «About it, where you at the time of the murder?».

«Do you suspect me of having assassinated Patricia?».

«I only want to be sure».

«I was right here» Leslie replied, pointing at the stand. «I have plenty of witness to my whereabouts. The only time I left was when that pathetic excuse for a worm that his Mr. Rossi called me while they were taking Allie in. Allie suffocating Patricia,… what a clowning».

«They said she was driven by envy. Miss Jerkigan was all what she wanted to be».

«Allie admired Patricia too much to do something like that» she interrupted him. For a moment she seemed mad, but she easily recollected her manners, spoking softer. «I'm sorry».

Phoenix nodded in agreement, waiting for her to calm down and, once she was done, posing the seller a question he's been meaning to ask for quite a while. «It's not the first time I notice, but you tend to call Miss Jerkigan by her full name».

Both women watched him directly in the eyes, both perplex.

«You always call Miss Greenway "Allie" and Miss Jerkigan "Patricia"».

«I'm just used to it».

«Strange. Because my client actually calls her "Patty"». Leslie's eyes got sharper. «Miss Michaels… Did you perhaps had some divergences with the victim?».

«Yes, we weren't exactly best friends anymore» she replied as it was nothing. «A normal reaction to what she did to Allie, if you ask me. Her and Jeremy… I don't know who disgusted me more».

«What does Mr. Cornell have to do with this?».

He expected the young girl to react stoically as always but, surprising, she seemed shocked by their question. In disbelief, too. «So she told you nothing, did she?» she asked at last. «About her and Jeremy».

The sudden remembrance of Alicia's reactions when asked about Mr. Cornell made Phoenix shiver. He had a bad feeling. «What about them?».

«Jeremy used to be Allie's boyfriend».

« _WHAT_!?» Maya and Phoenix shouted at the same time.

«B-B-But… Wasn't he Patricia's boyfriend?!».

«Lately, yes».

«I can't believe this…».

«Here, take a look» the girl offered, showing them a picture on her phone. In said photo, Alicia was smiling cheerfully to the camera, hugging a tall and charming boy. She looked happy.

«Is this Mr. Cornell?».

«Yes» Leslie simply said, putting the phone back.

«Now I understand her embarrassment» Maya commented.

«Yes, but she didn't show any trace of resentment toward him» Phoenix backed her up.

Leslie pouted disgusted, catching the attention of them both. «Of course not. The reason why Patricia and I weren't friend anymore, the worst betray ever happened to Alicia, the reason why she _has_ to grow up… It all comes back to it».

«Miss Michaels. Can you please tell us the truth. The whole truth».

Seller and attorney watched each other right in the eyes for what felt like an eternity. Something glowed in Phoenix's irises, that unusual light that never actually left him but that sometime burned stronger than ever.

«I was the one to present Patricia to Alicia. She was my neighbour and thought she was vain and greedy she seemed to really enjoy our company. We were fourteen at the time. Allie was so happy… Patricia was the most popular girl in school and tried her best to make Allie feel important too. Not that she didn't act like a snobbish diva sometimes… She was crueller than I am and often hurt Allie with the main purpose of just hurting her».

«Did you ever confronted her for it?».

«We argued once or twice, but nothing that couldn't be forgotten with a simply "sorry". Things started to go bad only a few months ago».

«What happened?».

«Allie started seeing Jeremy. I don't know how it began but he showed interest in her and Allie fell for him like a fish in the net. He was her first boyfriend, you should have seen her, she was head over heels. Always talking about him, taking a lot of photos with him, imagining her future with him… me and Patricia, on the contrary, we weren't happy at all: he was a lady-killer and the ladies he killed were all stunning blonde beauties with kilometric legs and fair skins. To put it shortly, they were Patricia. The fact that such a popular boy had feeling for our Allie made both of us suspicious… and we were right. He played with her, Alicia was only a tool for him to reach his true goal: Patricia Jerkigan. And that double-faced pig played on his same team!».

«So she reciprocated him».

«It was the longing for something forbidden that instigated her. She showed her true nature, at last. But the worst part, that's yet to come. Allie never hated her. Once he said he did it all for Patricia, she didn't even hate Jeremy».

«But this is insane!» Maya yelled.

«I know, but to her that's just "obvious"».

«What do you mean?» Phoenix asked.

Leslie's lips turned upward. «Patricia is all Allie ever wanted to be… The fact that Jeremy chose her blonde friend over her, to Allie, is just "obvious". You don't know how many times I tried to make her reason, but nothing: she had no hard feelings of either of them… just for herself».

«This is so sad». Tears started to form in Maya's eyes. Alicia Greenway was indeed a very caring girl. Maybe not the most beautiful, but she possessed her own charisma too.

«Eventually, things got figured out. A leopard can't change its spots, and so Patricia couldn't change her nature. Once she managed to steal Jeremy from Allie, she got bored of him pretty quickly and then left him».

«Wait… weren't the two of them together? I thought they were still a couple; Miss Greenway said so». Phoenix tried his best to remember the conversation at the detention centre.

«Officially they were dating; truth is she soon started seeing other guys, much to his displeasure. I stopped talking to her as soon as the betray happened, but according to Alicia –who kept in touch- the times they fought were more numerous than the ones they had fun together».

«This is interesting» Phoenix declared. «Until now, Alicia's condition put her in disadvantage. But if as you state Jeremy and Patricia's relationship was this bad… than the story changes its finale».

Maya and Leslie watched him with curiosity. If Jeremy and Patricia's relationship was this bad, than there was another suspect who had more reasons than the defendant to kill Miss Jerkigan.

Phoenix raised his head to the sky. The blue of the day was getting darker, redder, sign that that day has passed by. It was a matter of hours and sleep now, then the fate of Alicia Greenway would have been decided. The more he thought about it, the more Phoenix couldn't stand the idea or that young girl going to prison. The more he thought about it, the more Phoenix identified Jeremy Cornell with the true killer. But it was still too soon to say. He didn't even know the name of the prosecutor yet. Tomorrow would have been a decisive day. Tomorrow would have changed his life more than Phoenix could believe.

 **Next chapter** : The trial finally begins. Phoenix and Maya try their best to defend Alicia, but once the prosecutor is revelaed they find out she's even worse than they thought. A strange feeling grips Phoenix's heart as a strange woman suddenly appears...


	2. Turnabout Betray: Second Day

**Recap:** Phoenix and Maya accepted to defend the clumsy Alicia Greenway, accused of murdering her best friend Patricia. The duo found out that the real culprit is the victim's boyfriend and defendant's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, but have yet to prove it at the trial.

* * *

 **Turnabout Betray - Second Day  
**

Phoenix felt agitated to say the least. He knew he had enough ability and enough proves to clear Alicia's name and accuse Jeremy Cornell of murder, but what truly scared him was the prosecution. Neither Edgeworth nor Franziska would have come back to America before September and Godot couldn't work anymore; Winston Payne definitely didn't have long black hair, unless he'd bought another of his atrocious toupees, so there was no chance it was him either.

«Agitated?» asked Maya, smiling calmly at him. He was so lucky to have her to always make him feel better.

«A bit. I know I can prove Cornell guilty but I have no clue what to expect from the prosecutor».

«Whoever this copycat is, she's going to go down!». Apparently, Maya hadn't forgotten what Marco Rossi said about the prosecutor: a black-haired woman in a strange attire. «Look, Alicia's coming».

Phoenix turned around to see the defendant approach them with two guards one at each of her sides. Despite it all, she was still smiling, her curly hairs framing a whole set of shiny teeth. Phoenix wondered if she was conscious about what was going to happen; he wondered if she was conscious that Jeremy killed her friend, or if she was oblivious about everything going on behind her back. The day before she sounded strange while talking about him and thanks to Miss Michaels they found out Alicia didn't see anything good about herself. But did she had any suspicion? Was she actually defending him somehow? Phoenix didn't realize it wholly the day before, but the time he spent with his client had been very few and they didn't even had the chance to talk about everything in a proper manner.

«It's now or never» he whispered, getting closer to Miss Greenway.

«Hi» he said, his voice nearly a sneeze behind the loud "GOOD MORNING ALICIA!" Maya screamed with all her lungs before hugging the girl.

«It's nice to meet you again, are you ready for the trial?» the cook asked.

Phoenix sighed. «It should be me asking you that».

«Oh, but I have no doubt you will be great. I saw Leslie while coming here, she's watching the trial too. She said you made a lot of progress after visiting me at the detention centre».

«Did she?».

«Yes», the girl nodded. «She also claimed something along the line of "They know the real killer" or something like that… man, you're so smart, Mr. Wright, I thought about it too but couldn't come out with any possible option!».

«He's amazing, isn't he?» Maya demanded with a giggle, but Phoenix, right beside her, was far less cheerful.

«Coincidentally, I came here to talk with you about the killer» he began, watching Alicia gasp. «I think the person who killed Miss Jerkigan is her ex-boyfriend: Jeremy Cornell».

Alicia's gasp turned into a gulp. «What!? B-b-but Jeremy… He would never do something like that! He loved Patty, he… he really did...».

Phoenix slowed down a moment, taking his time to observe his client one last time. The fact that her eyes had lowered during the last stutter meant not only that she was sad, but that those words hide more behind them than the girl let out. Yes. After all, Mr. Cornwell faked interest in Alicia exactly because he wanted to reach his true goal, Miss Jerkigan herself. Alicia knew all too well just how far he was ready to go to gain his "prize".

«You weren't completely honest with us, yesterday» he claimed, obtaining her attention once again. «You forgot to tell us a very important detail».

«W-which is?». Her voice was shacking.

«You and Jeremy were in a relationship, before he left you for Patricia Jerkigan».

«Leslie told you that?».

«Yes. She also told us that the reason why he started a relationship with you in the first place was to be nearer to Miss Jerkigan».

Alicia lowered her head again, so he continued.

«Miss Greenway. I understand you have a high consideration of that guy; you said so yourself, but don't you get it? He's using you once again. He was betrayed by Patricia and furious, he killed her and decided to pin the guilt on you because he was aware you would have never said anything against him».

After Alicia refused to answer, Maya intruded into the discussion. «He's not a good person».

«You misunderstood him», the defendant claimed, finally breaking her silence. «You all did. You, Leslie, Marco,… You all say he's a bad guy, but that's not true!».

«He never loved you».

«I would have never loved me neither!». Tears were forming in her eyes, and even the slightest trace of smiles was now vanished from Alicia's face. «I would have never loved someone like me. When he and Patty revealed they wanted to be together… It all made so perfect sense. If I was a man I would have chosen her too».

Her tone was now so bitter that both Maya's and Phoenix's hearts were going to explode in their chests. There was so much sadness in it that for a moment the whole world seemed to have stopped, leaving just those tearful words behind. Now they fully got what Leslie was trying to say the day before; now Alicia's weakness was well-know and it was a dangerous weakness: if it wasn't treated correctly, it could have turned into a double-edged sword and compromised the result of the trial.

«Patricia was so good… She could have been friend with all the beautiful and smart people but she chose me».

«You have a distorted idea of your "friend"» muttered Maya, trying to be as polite as possible.

Phoenix knew what it felt like to believe in someone so blindly and then being stabbed in the back; he knew that no matter how many people told you to quit, no matter how many times you were hurt, a lie was always ready to be told, and you were always ready to be fooled. He knew how it was like, to fall in love with someone who only ever used you for their own purposes.

«Alicia» he said, staring right into the defendant's eyes. «She was indeed a beautiful woman, but had a terrible flaw: she lacked humility. I may not be popular, nor very attractive, but to someone like me, who values honesty, loyalty and care above everything else, beauty is just a plus. If I had had to choose, I would have always chosen you».

The girl's dark eyes widened in shock, her mouth thrusted open. She was confused beyond believe by what she had just heard, her pupils showing all her loss. Finally she gulped, ready to speak, but before she could answer Phoenix's declaration she had already been taken away by the guard. The trial was starting.

«Wow, you sure know how make a woman's heart skip a beat, Nick!». Overtaken her own moment of disbelief, Maya was now grinning devilish and flushing, glaring at her friend like a fox.

«I thought it was right to let her hear it» he explain. _Because I'm aware of the pain_ , he thought but didn't say.

Maya nodded before biting her lower lip and crossing her arms. «Still, we didn't manage to make her reason».

«One thing at a time. We'll point out Mr. Cornell's and Miss Jerkigan's hypocrisy during the process. We own Alicia that much».

Maya nodded again but didn't answer. She grabbed Phoenix's hand with her own and hold it tight. When Wright raised his head to ask an explanation, she was smiling widely.

«I know you will win. You always do after all, don't you?».

Phoenix suddenly remembered that he still had no idea who he was facing in court that day. To this day Edgeworth was still his most problematic nemesis, yet he felt _strange_ for some reasons. Nervous even. Like something bad was going to happen. It was a feeling he had had even the day before, for how easy the case may have looked something definitely seemed off.

Phoenix suddenly felt _observed_. It wasn't a feeling because Maya's face expression changed drastically and he was forced to turned around. Behind him, some meters away, stood a tall and slim girl in an elegant dress who was staring right at him. She must have had around twenty years and was as pale as a ghost; even her hair was white and long. Her ice-blue eyes –sad, suffering, dead- were still piercing him.

The knot in Phoenix's stomach worsened. The already nervous attorney had a bad sensation about this new encounter, someway, somehow, he couldn't stop looking at her and trying to figure out why, just why, he felt so bad and… _nostalgic_?

«She's beautiful» Maya commented as the girl moved out of the room to take part in the trial. «Do you happen to know her?».

Phoenix shook his head. «I… I don't think so». The girl was watching him and that was a matter of fact; her face too reminded him of someone, _but who_? He thought about it for a while before finally giving up.

«Maybe she's part of the prosecution», insisted Maya.

«I have no idea, but there's something I'm actually sure of: we have no time to think about her. The trial is starting».

Maya nodded and with a final glimpse at each other, both her and Phoenix headed to the courtroom. The prosecutor was still a mystery and the "ghost-girl" sure didn't help Wright to feel better, but there was no room for doubts or uncertainties in right now; just confidence and attention.

Alicia Greenway's trial was about to start.

Phoenix moved rapidly to his post, turning his eyes toward the prosecution area as soon as he could.

«The court is now in session for the murder of Patricia Jerkigan that happened two days ago and for which the defendant Alicia Greenway is accused» the judge proclaimed, summarizing the reasons behind the trial. But his voice did nothing to distract the attorney from his interest point.

The dark, straight hair was tied in a bun so high and tight that just watching it was painful. The eyes were as red as rubies, a perfect contrast to the porcelain white skin around them. The dress, an old-fashioned devilish-like black and red suit, was another great contrast, and at the same time gave perfect sense both to the eyes and hair. Altogether, "the black-hair prosecutor in a strange attire" was as dolly beautiful as diabolically intimidating.

«The prosecution is ready» replied a voice as calm and gelid as an iced stone.

«The defence is also ready» Phoenix muttered, staring right at the source of that voice.

The judge cleared his throat before turning his whole attention to the woman on his left. «Isabel Burnet. It's been a long time since the last time I had the pleasure to meet you in court».

«About three years, isn't it?» ask the ice-stoned prosecutor.

«The whole American law system is proud of you for having been selected to that world-wide contest. Tell me, how's the judicial system in France?».

«Not better than ours. Now forgive me Mr. Judge but I think this is enough chit-chatting. Could we please go back to the trial, thank you?».

«Oh!» exclaimed the old man, blushing. «S-sure thing!».

Phoenix gulped, not moving his eyes from Prosecutor Isabel Burnet. The woman in front of him could have turned cockroaches into diamonds only ordering them. But she was the prosecutor, and Phoenix had to defeat her no matter what.

«So that's the copycat» whispered Maya to her friend's ear.

«Looks that way», he answered.

«Do you know anything about her?».

«Nothing at all» he admitted, reordering the proves on the desk. «But if she's just half as intimidating as a lawyer as she looks like, we're doomed».

«Yeah, she's _hardcore_!» Maya laughed, recomposing herself few seconds later. She grabbed Phoenix's shaking hand, massaging it with her right thumb. «Hey. I've faith in you. We're beating this copycat real hard, right now!».

Phoenix allowed himself to smile. He felt so lucky to have Maya by his side, but his happiness downed rapidly as the Judge start talking again.

«Now, if Miss Burnet could be so gentle to start her interrogation».

As fast as the man finished talking, the prosecutor had already started her own argument: «The prosecution would like to call their first and only witness» she bluntly said, waiting no time. Her tone was still dead cold and Phoenix felt even his veins freeze.

The attorney quickly recollected himself, trying to look confident and prepared. «So here comes Jeremy Cornell», he affirmed, glaring at Miss Burnett to see on her face any trace of perplexity due to his being-aware-of, but she didn't even spare him a little gaze.

«Do you expect me to gasp because you know the name of the witness, Mr. Wright?» she continued instead, looking at the defence's direction for the first time since the beginning of the trial. «Sorry, but I don't think I'm going to».

«Man, she sure is unlikable», Maya pouted, frowning her brows. Phoenix was ready to comment on her last remark, but the sound of the door opening and the witness making his entrance distracted him.

Jeremy Cornell was a styled and handsome young man, with shoulder-long brown hair and a cocky smile. And, if Phoenix was correct, he was also a killer.

«Nice to meet you, Mr. Cornell» the lawyer said, scrutinizing him.

«I would like to say the same, but unfortunately I'm not interested in any kind of law worker whatsoever, do you get what I mean to mean?».

«This is not exactly the kind of thing you're expecting to hear in a courthouse!» the judge said, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Phoenix was also unpleased, but for a completely different reason: «Aren't you sad for what happened to your girlfriend?».

Jeremy smirked. «Oh yes, I'm very sad for Patty's death. Isn't it evident?»

There was a brief moment of silence following his blood-freezing attitude; a brief moment of silence that got broken by Maya's angry, incredulous and saddened comment.

«At least he's making our job easier» she said, pointing at the people all around them.

The court was indeed tumultuous. Everyone kept turning to the person on their left, then on their right, the chorus of their "Unbelievable!" and "Rude!" audible in every corner. They looked at Jeremy Cornell as a cat would have looked at a bathtub; with the strongest disgust. They didn't even try to hide it, and for how much it costed for Phoenix to admit it, it was really better this way. He still needed to prove Jeremy's guilt step by step, but the public standing on his side gave the whole situation a better starting point.

«If the people are done with their whining, it would be a pleasure for the prosecution to hear the witness's testimony».

Another moment of gasps and gulps rises as the words were spoken, but since Miss Burnet was able to turn cockroaches into diamonds, it was easier this time to stop the whispering and go back to the trial.

«Such a scary woman…» Maya thought out loud.

Jeremy grinned. «So it's finally my turn to be the centre of the attention. Cool. That's the kind of stuff I like to hear».

 _Between the prosecutor and the witness I don't know who's worse_ , Phoenix thought, remembering that this was still better than having to do with Marco Rossi. Better. Definitely better.

«If Mr. Cornell could please tell us all what he knows about what came to be two days ago, than the defence would happily cross-questioning him» the man said, waiting until the young witness was ready to open his mouth and, finally, condemn himself with his own hands.

«I was looking for Patricia» he began. «It was like she had gone missing. I couldn't find her anywhere so I went to the patisserie to ask Alicia if she knew where she was. Alicia told me she was in the storeroom so I moved there and find the body. Patty was already dead when I found her».

«Thank you for sharing your version, Mr Cornell. Now the defence can counter-question the witness» claimed the judge.

«Thanks, your honor», answered Phoenix, turning immediately on Jeremy's direction. «You said you were looking for Miss Jerkigan. " _It was like she had gone missing_ " is what you said… Does it mean there was no way for you to reach her?».

The answer was fast: «Not a single way. She didn't answer the phone and was neither at home nor at the university. I tried asking some common friends and none of them had seen her in a while».

«Do you know the reason behind her action?».

«I have no idea».

«Could it be that she was already dead at the time?».

«OBJECTION!». Prosecutor Burnet's voice rumbled in the room, alarming Phoenix and Maya. Despite the shout, the woman still looked both calm and relaxed, with everything under control. The cold tone wasn't gone either.

«Objection» she repeated, softer, raising an envelope. «I requested an autopsy report. It's written clearly here that a maximum of thirty minutes could have passed between the defendant killing the victim and the discovery of the corpse, labelling her death between 08:00 and 08:30 o'clock in the morning. Tell me, Mr. Cornell, had the victim disappeared for this little period of time alone?».

«No», replied Jeremy. «She's been vanished since the evening before».

«As the whole court can see, it's impossible for the killing and the disappearing to have happened at the same time».

«Objection sustained» confirmed the judge, nodding his head.

Maya and Phoenix grunted at the same time, wondering what reason could bring Miss Burnet to object their theory. It would have benefitted her cause if the murder had happened the day before: while Jeremy would have had an alibi, both Alicia and Marco wound have had no excuse for discovering the corpse so late, unless one of them was the culprit. With utmost certitude, the prosecutor was either hiding something or preventing the boy's spurt of lies to grow too big. A simple call from the anthropologists and the truth would have surfaces, making the prosecution's work even harder.

«One moment, your Honor», insisted Phoenix. «I demand that Mr. Cornell's answer is added to his testimony».

«His… answer?» rebutted the older man, unsure.

Phoenix nodded his head. «Yes. I asked him if he knew why his girlfriend had decided to avoid any contact with the outside world and he answered "I have no idea"».

The court felt silent for an instant, then the judge awkwardly cleared his throat. «Mr. Wright» , he said, «I don't see how pure ignorance can be useful».

«I couldn't agree more», Isabel Burnet sustained him. «Ignorance is a curse that prevent evolution. I understand you must be very _attached_ to your beloved ignorance, but it is not the good quality you think it is».

«What!?».

«You should really free yourself from it».

«I-I-I didn't mean it!». Phoenix tried to defend himself.

«Than what do you want, Mr. Wright?».

«I want the statement to be added to the testimony».

Miss Burnet curved her lips in disgust. «As already stated, that would be useless».

Phoenix's voice reached a note he himself didn't know he was able to reach as he yelled the loudest "Objection!" he had ever yelled.

Objection! The truth is, Mr. Cornell… is a _liar_ ».

«What?» shouted the named.

«Mr. Cornell knew perfectly the motive that brought Patricia to hide her individual, and I hold the evidence right here in my hand».

The whole audience oohed as Phoenix's raised his right hand to show Alicia's testimony to the judge and Miss Burnet.

«According to the defendant " _Jeremy Cornell entered the patisserie and said that he was looking for Patty; if I'd known where she'd gone, I should have said it to him immediately_ "; and then again " _I tried to convince him not to go in the storehouse but he was taller and stronger than me. He basically burst through the bottom of the door_ ". This evidence contradicts your testimony, witness».

Miss Burnet started to drum her nails to the wooded desk, making an irritating noise. «Objection! The evidence you just shown us gives major credit to the witness's saying: he was looking for her but didn't know where she was hiding».

«Objection!» rebutted the attorney. «You missed the point».

«I beg your pardon?».

«While it's true that Mr. Cornell wasn't aware of his girlfriend's whereabouts, he still knew the reason that forced her to conceal herself».

«And where exactly is this particular revealed, if you could be so gentle to show me?».

Phoenix smiled widely, immensely proud of himself for defeating the rival on this game of wits with ease and at the same time pointing out so publicly that she had made a huge gaffe.

« _"He basically burst through the bottom of the door"._ For someone who claims to have been in the dark, the defendant had a rather violent attitude when confronting this situation».

«My girlfriend had been missing for many hours, what should I have done?!» Jeremy burst out, interrupting him. «I was scared. What if something had happened?».

«Miss Greenway reassured you you just had to let Patricia be».

The young man gritted his teeth with anger, staring at the attorney with wrath. If Phoenix had had just another piece of evidence -just one- to prove Mr. Cornell's unreliability, than the cards should would have turned, moving him in the suspect corner and at the same time giving Alicia's more credibility.

Miss Burnet interrupted Phoenix's course of thoughts: «Mr. Attorney, are you in possession of further evidence that can prove with utmost certitude that the witness definitely knew the truth behind the disappearance of the victim?».

«Yes, Mr. Wright, do you have such evidence?» backed her up the judge.

Phoenix checked the desk one last time, desperately looking for the right answer. What happened between Patricia and Jeremy? He couldn't let a so important piece of information pass by without fighting for it, but he didn't know what to do and the more he waited farter went that information.

«Mia would be so helpful now» he whispered, almost giving up.

Luckily, Maya was right next to him to cheer him up. «Hey«, she said, closing her hands into fist and proudly directing them to Phoenix. «I can be just as helpful as she is. Together we can still do it».

«It's really nice for you to say so, but we have no evidence».

«Maybe you should only change your perspective».

«What do you mean».

Maya thought about it for a bit, her lower lip chewing her upper one, then she said: «I don't know. Maybe the correct answer can't be found between the evidences».

Without even the strength to scold her for how stupid her idea was, Phoenix limited himself to a hopeless sigh. He opened his tired eyes to watch the court, to meet Alicia's eyes and tell her he was sorry, but eventually he met another pair of eyes. Green, shining, angry eyes.

«I got it» he whispered, so low that Maya nearly missed it. You were right, Maya, the question is not "what can explain it" but " _who_ can explain it".

«Mr. Wright, do you have such evidence?» the judge demanded once again, this time less patiently.

«Yes, your Honor» he quickly declared. «The evidence is right here».

the whole audience jumped on their seats and Maya herself couldn't prevent a little squeak to come out of her mouth. Instead of handing over any previous evidence, the blue-dressed lawyer was holding the dossier containing all the names of the people related to the crime. Most specifically, he was holding it open on Miss Michaels' page, showing the judge the photo of the info the police was in possession of.

The judge looked confused. «Who's she?».

«Miss Greenway's other best friend: Leslie Michaels. Do you see, your Honor, we had the pleasure to speak with her yesterday and we discovered some interesting matters. Like the fact that the relationship between Mr. Cornell and the victim wasn't exactly idyllic. She had an affair with some other men and though they still were in a relationship, they spent most of their time fighting».

«And this is important because…?».

«The defence would put the idea of them fighting into consideration when considering why Miss Herkigan had to hide herself».

«Objection!».

Phoenix turned his head as fast as light. Prosecutor Burnet had been so quiet for the last minutes that he had nearly forgot about her. But now her voice was freezing the whole court once again.

«The defence is basing its whole case on un unreliable outsider».

«Objection sustained».

«What!?».

«Her testimony isn't in the court register, we couldn't even consider it to begin with».

«Then I request that she's called to testify!».

«Objection! She didn't witness the murder, there's no reason for us to call her».

«Objection! Everyone involved with the case can give testimony, even those that weren't present».

«Objection! We're here to find a culprit of murder, not to chit-chat about gossip issues».

«The defence insists that Leslie Michaels is given the chance to testify».

«I don't think we would need to».

Phoenix turned his head, and so did the lady on the other side of the room. Maya's voice had been confident, speaking those words, and even more confidently she was now holding her hand in front of herself, her index raised to point at Jeremy. Curved over the bar, the witness was chewing his bottom lip with fury, his eyes shining with a dark and scary red light.

«It's everything okay, witness?» the judge asked.

«That little foxy girl!».

«Pardon?».

«That long-nosed rascal!» Jeremy screamed lauder. «She didn't even talk to Patty yet she had the audacity to spread rumours about us? Her inexistent love life is no excuse for her impertinence! I'm she just wanted to let everyone know about the betrays, I know she did! She wanted to publicly humiliate me for the pleasure to, that pathetic excuse for a human being».

The judge tried to talk louder than him, but keeping a calmer attitude. «Witness, calm yourself! So is it true? Was the victim seeing other men?».

«Patricia was out of her mind, she didn't know what she was doing. _I loved her_ ».

Since Jeremy's face was turning redder and redder and his tongue seemed to be looser, Phoenix took advantage of the current situation to have a proper answer to the question that was tormenting the trial for a long time now.

«Mr. Cornell, do you know why Miss Jerkigan had to hide?».

The beforehand confident man was now only a infuriated boy who couldn't control himself anymore. He manage to contain his answer to a simple "Yes…", but it was enough to give Phoenix power and entrap him into a corner.

«The witness is asked to testify again. Mr. Cornell, tell us why Patricia Jerkigan hid in the storeroom of the patisserie».

Jeremy grunted, aware that there was no turning back now. «We argued the evening before. She said that she had enough and wanted to put an end to our story and turn the page. I told her she couldn't do that and she replied saying that she didn't want to see me ever again, not even by mistake».

«So you think that…».

«Yes» he cut short, interrupting the judge. «She was hiding from me».

There was a sudden tumult between the benches, the whole court on turmoil. Every person present in the room started whispering to the person sit next to them, even Prosecutor Burnet seemed surprised, her disappointed revealed by the nervous tick of the nails.

When the noise reached its louder point, the judge had the brilliant idea of stopping him, saving many of the presents from deafness

«Silent please!» he scream, calming the audience. «Mr. Wright can begin his cross-examination».

«Thanks». Phoenix massaged his still-aching ears, metabolizing the new testimony and thinking what his next move could have been. «I'm sorry you were bumped, Mr. Cornell» he said at the end.

«You're lying and the smile on your face proves it».

Phoenix laughed giggled. «You caught me…».

«Can we move on with the case?».

«Sorry, Your Honor. Miss Jerkigan's decision was as imperious as revolutionary. Why did she insist that you two didn't meet _ever again_?».

Jeremy nearly performed a bark as he turned toward Phoenix and showed him the teeth. «She was seeing other men, okay? We already established that, why do you keep digging it out? We must be so happy of my suffering!».

«Witness, may you abstain from attacking the defence, thank you» Isabel Burnet admonished him. Her magical power of turning cockroaches into diamonds made himself known once again, as he obediently calmed down.

Phoenix smile at her. She was still looking as hard as a ice stone, but it wasn't the first time she had defended or helped him and, if he remember correctly, she didn't even put all that effort trying to defeat him.

«Thank you, Miss Burnet» he said. «I'm asking the reason of this decision because it's a rather harsh one. And as things are now, Mr. Cornell, you are more suspicious than Miss Greenway had ever been».

«Are you accusing me of being the killer?».

«Actually, yes».

«Objection! This is preposterous!».

Phoenix shook his head. «I fear it's not, Miss Prosecutor. Mr. Cornell had a valid reason to kill Patricia Jerkigan, as she had just ditched him. Miss Greenway, on the contrary, didn't».

Jeremy grunted, a hint of pity and disrespect recognizable in his voice. «Miss Greenway? Ah. Allie's the real liar. "Allie Goodway". There's no such thing as a hundred percent good person in the world, she's just a devil dressed in cardigans and you should stop believing her fraud!».

«You're unjust».

« _She's a killer!»_ was the impatient shout that broke Phoenix's discourse. The witness looked more distressed now than ever, the pity he felt for the poor Alicia still evident.

Phoenix took an instant to reflect. What would have been his next move? Luckily for him, if he could say so, the prosecutor talked before he had the chance to, sparing him the effort.

«The witness' declarations show a peculiar type of affiliation between him and the defendant, namely one of disgust and disrespect».

The judge's eyes buzzed. «His words sure show a bad relationship. Mr. Cornell, are you here because you witnessed the crime or because you only want to blame your foe?».

«He saw the crime, obviously. His dislike for the defendant is a further proof that she and only she can be the culprit».

«What?» exclaimed Phoenix. He had no idea what Miss Burnet was getting at.

The dark-haired woman explained: «He knows the defendants better than any of us present here today. so, he also know her routine, her belongings».

«I still don't get it».

«If the jury agrees, the prosecution would like to hear a new testimony from the witness. A testimony about Miss Greenway».

The judge stuttered for a moment, caught by surprise by Miss Burnet's audacity, but he still allowed Jeremy to testify once again, saying all what he had to say about Alicia.

«I've been knowing Alicia for quite some time now. How? Thanks to Patty, of course. I never really like that girl, like nobody else after all. She's stupid and clingy. Patricia was her friend just because it was fun to see her struggle and make fun of them. Alicia must have realized it, that's why she killed Patty».

Phoenix, as well as the rest of the presents, was shocked by the witness's honest yet despicable testimony, to the point where he didn't even know what to say, being so disgusted. Maya, on the other ended, had way to many words in mind and had no problem slamming a fist to the defence desk and starting to list them all.

«How can you say something so inhuman with a large, bright smile!?» she began, furious. «You're hideous! You're the one who deserved to-».

«Maya!». The girl's rambling got easily sedated by Phoenix's prompt intrusion. «Don't get mad. This way he's doing us a favour».

«But he just said-».

«I know. And everyone else here knows. He's not helping himself. Also, his testimony presents a great contradiction and I'm showing it to everyone».

The medium-in-training relaxed her tense shoulders, glad that Phoenix had already come up with a solution. She was still mad, but the lawyer was right: if they had managed to condemn him guilty, that would hve been the greatest punishment.

«Can I ask you something, Mr. Cornell?».

«Sure thing, man. Go ahead».

«Have you ever met the defendant before engaging Miss Jerkigan?».

«Never once».

«And when it comes to the victim, how did you get to know her? How did you get to engage her?».

Jeremy's face looked confused. He shrugged his shoulder, unable to find an answer. «This has nothing to do with my testimony».

«This has all to do with your testimony, I fear».

«This has nothing to do with his testimony, I fear not» replied Miss Burnet from the other side of the room.

It was Phoenix's turn to smile and it was a smile so bright that many were distracted by it as he raised the piece of evidence that would have proved Jeremy's big, smelly lie.

«You made a huge mistake, Mr. Cornell. Don't you know that lie is a crime? You said that you started to hang out with Alicia only after going steady, but that's not possible, because you see… Before engaging Patricia Jerkigan, you were the boyfriend of her very best friend, Miss Alicia Greenway herself!».

«What!?» was the loud sound the judge emitted.

«This photo here shows it».

The attorney showed the judge the photo Leslie gave him, the one with Jeremy and Alicia holding hands and smiling happily, as a couple.

«How-How did you get it?» whispered Jeremy, the voice like devil's breath.

Phoenix grinned once again. «You said nobody likes Alicia, but you're wrong. There's actually someone who likes her very much and gave me this photo to use against you when the time would have come».

«Leslie Michaels…».

«Indeed».

«This proves nothing!» insisted the prosecutor, destroying her own desk with the nails. «What does it matter if the defendant and the witness were once a couple? That's completely unrelated to the case».

«Objection! Did you mean it's completely _related_ to the case, I think. It's not the first time Mr. Cornell lie to us or show a bad attitude. And now that we know he dumped Alicia and still today has zero respect for her, a whole new scenario opens up in front of our eyes».

«A new scenario?».

«A sustain my previously exposed theory», Phoenix said, loud and clear. «Jeremy Cornell is the real murderer and is trying to blame his ex-girlfriend to save himself from rotting in prison».

«Are you insane?» spitted said murderer.

«I'm not» Phoenix replied with a shake of the head. «This is what the defence believe to have truly happened: we all know Miss Jerkigan used to see other men and wanted to end her relationship with Mr. Cornell. The latter, on the contrary, wasn't okay with her decision and the next morning went to visit her. She was less than pleased to talk with him, so tried to run away and went to the place she considered safer: her friend's patisserie. Jeremy, still angry, followed her, and once he realized she would have never changed her mind he killed her».

«You're crazy!» shouted the defendant, his eyes wide with disbelief and his skin livid.

«Objection! Your theory is interesting, but impossible, Mr. Defense Attorney. There's no way the witness could have killed the victim».

Phoenix watched the Prosecutor with dark eyes. «Why do you say so?».

«It's very simple, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet. There's only one door to the restroom. And that's positioned behind the counter».

«So».

«So the witness couldn't have killed the victim without being noticed by whoever was present in the main room of the patisserie that day. Or to say it in a simple way: if the witness had walked through that door, the defendant would have seen him».

Phoenix gulped, realizing only now the truth behind the woman's words.

«Here, take a look» she insisted. «This is the plant of the patisserie. As you can see, there's only one door. The witness couldn't have committed the crime».

Wright took the piece of paper in his hand, scrutinizing him over and over, looking for every single detail. But she was right, however you put it: there was only one door.

«This can't be happening, we have to do something» the black-haired muttered, looking in Maya's direction searching her support. And she was right next to him, her smile as bright as the sun, with an answer ready in her mind that couldn't be told, because Phoenix had to understand it himself. Sometimes she remind Mia so much that it became painful, but Phoenix was so proud of his little assistant for being so smart and clever. Mia was probably proud too.

«You're seeing it from the wrong perspective, Nick. Again. C'mon, you can do it».

«Maya, this is not the time for tricks. At least give me a hint».

The smile grew wider and, if possible, even more beautiful. «If you had to enter a building as a criminal and criminally get rid of a girl… How would you do?».

Phoeni thought carefully at what she had just said, pondering every one she had spoken. Then suddenly he got the illumination he was looking for.

«Maya, you're a genius!».

«I know» she laughed off, as stunning as she had never been.

«Is the defence ready to put an end to this case or does they intend to keep gossiping between themselves».

If Maya's smile was bright and sunny, Phoenix's one was so wide it looked almost stupid and off the wall.

«You look stupid and off the wall» the tall woman laconically commented.

«Actually» Phoenix started speaking, his tone so fanatical that every newbie would have seemed professional in front of him, «I have the right piece of evidence to clarify that there was another way for Mr. Cornell to enter the storeroom without being spotted and then kill Patricia».

«Then show us the evidence» pushed him the judge.

«To be honest I don't have it… the prosecution does».

«What?».

«The piece of evidence I need is exactly the one Prosecutor Burnet is holding in her hand: it's the representation of the patisserie!».

«Unbelievable».

«It's true that there's only one door connecting the room to the outside world, but there's another way to enter it: through the window. Mr. Cornell burst into the storehouse through the window, thus going unnoticed by Alicia Greenway».

«How can you be so sure?» grunted Jeremy, his face now turning even redder.

«When we visited the place of the murder, yesterday, we notice that the area directly under the corpse was abundant of glass shatters, meaning that something glassy must have broken. But there was not a single scratch on Miss Jerkigan's body and nothing breakable seem to have broken. Even if I have to say: nobody checked the windows, which were so high. If a policeman could please be sent to check out the room, we could give a proper answer to all our questions».

«Objection! Even if the window of the storehouse had truly been broken, nothing link this fact to the witness. It could have been a rock, a thief, the real murderer,… It's an interesting story, but it only shows what happened to the storehouse, not who was guilty of killing the poor victim».

«Objection! The report says Miss Jerkigan must have dying between 08:00 and 08:30… casually, Jeremy Cornell entered the patisserie in the exact span of time».

«Objection! Really a casuality, if he had arrived earlier, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened».

«Objection! Who else could have done it? He's the only suspect!».

«Objection! Are you forgetting about your client, Mr. Attorney? She has no alibi. She's the main suspect».

«Enough».

Both lawyers turned their eyes on the judge, the sound of his hammer still drumming in their ears.

«Mr. Wright, your hypothesis lack a basis, we need decisive evidence that can confirm, without any trace of doubt, that Mr. Cornell and he alone could have committed this crime. If you don't possess this evidence, I'm afraid there's no hope left for your client».

Phoenix exchanged a rapid glance with the old man, his favouritism evident both his is quite tone and in his saddened eyes. Then he turned to Maya, glad that she was near him now that he was so close to the goal. Now that all what he had to do was show the evidence he had been waiting to present from the very beginning. His ace.

«I have it».

«Do you?».

«You do?».

«I do».

With slow movements the attorney took the profiterole that had been lying untouched since the beginning of the trial. The movement, accompanied by a chorus of oh and ah coming from the surprised and confused audience, was swiftly substituted with another one; while in his right hand Phoenix held the creamy round sweet, in his left one he hold high the previously shown photo of Alicia and Jeremy when they were still a couple.

«How is that piece of food related to that photo?» dared to ask the white-bearded man, who was still as shock by the turn of events as he was at the trial started.

«This is not a normal profiterole. While visiting the restroom, we found them a large amount of sweet and sweet related stuff scattered around. It's easy to understand why, killing Patricia Jerkigan must have been harder than expected. She must have fought back, paying no attention to the setting around her».

Jeremy hissed: «Just say what you have to say».

«In this particular pastry we found some round object that looks like a pearl. Right here –Phoenix showed the pearl to the judge and prosecutor. And after seeing the photo, I can say without a doubt that it is a pearl indeed. Do you know why? Because if you pay attention, Mr. Cornell is wearing a necklace made of perfectly identical pearl is this photo».

«Objection! That's just a coincidence».

«Oh, c'mon, how else could a pearl of his necklace have gone there if not because he was fighting against Miss Jerkigan?».

«There are plenty of pearl necklaces in this world, that proves nothing».

«Well, I don't see Mr. Cornell wearing it today».

«Objection! The victim was wearing one too».

«Yes, and she still does. Look at the corpse: she's still wearing her necklace, so it wasn't the one that got broken and lost a pearl».

Miss Burnet opened her mouth, but closed it immediately. She didn't have a comeback, so she backed down and started drumming her nails over her already martyred wood.

«Do the witness feel like battling still or can we put an end to this story for real».

«Yes, I want to battle». Jeremy had the face of a crazy man, the face sweating, the hair messed up completely, the redding eyes nearly soaking out and the mouth a strange tone of purple. «Allie's as clumsy as an elephant, nothing says she couldn't have destroyed the whole room already. What if it was already like that when the crime happened, eh? And about the pearl… It wasn't the first time I'd visited the storeroom so maybe I'd lost it before. Yeah, my necklace had already broke by that time, it broke some days ago, she must have left the pearls on the ground and then the accident happened and that's why the pearl is there. Yeah, that's exactly what happened. Hey, what do you think?».

Phoenix didn't answered, preferring to keep staring at the man who was watching him back with those creepy eyes and that insane face. Soon the life of a man would have changed completely but he couldn't come to blame himself; Jeremy would have deserved any punishment.

«I'm sorry, but you buried your own grave» Phoenix finally said, a shocked "what" coming from the witness stand. «Look carefully at this photo: the floor is covered in cream and chocolate from head to toe. Even the body is dirty. There are very few points in this room that aren't soiled in liquid but just barely splattered. The shelves, the walls… and the murder weapon».

«Objection!».

The attorney in blue didn't have to move his eyes to know what the prosecution was up to. Miss Burnet must have already guessed the point behind Phoenix's statement.

«Of course the weapon had very few spots of dirt on it; it's a jumping cord, the killed must have taken it out of her own bag».

«Objection! If Miss Greenway was the killer she would have done as much, yes; but she isn't and Mr. Cornell had no access to her belongings».

«Objection! The cord is partly neat because it was standing on a shelf, of course. No one leaves a cords around».

«Objection! The weapon couldn't have been standing on a shelf».

«Why?».

«Watch the crime photo once again. The shelves are clear, yes, but _overturned_. The killer or the victim must have hit it while fight, moving it. In fact, all what was over them felt: the boxes, the instruments,… Yet the cord is clear. This proves that Mr. Cornell has lied to us once again: the killer was already holding the cord in an attempt to kill the victim when the boxes were broken. And now that this is stated, the only finger prints present on the cord can be the victim's and the killer's. Mr Cornell, would you like to take a test for us?».

Jeremy opened his salivating mouth, then closed it; then reopened and reclosed it. Finally, he turned purple completely and start drooling. Every trace of beauty his face once had was now gone, leaving behind just a rabid dog. He didn't have to say anything anymore, his composure was speaking for him.

«Tell me I was wrong?» he hissed with a devilish voice that seemed to come directly from the underground. «She was chucking me, _me_. I'm popular, I'm beautiful, I'm smart, how could she? She was just a ditz, she was as stupid as a stick. She deserved it! Both her and her stupid stick friend. Alicia had to be blamed, she's ugly, she's naïve, she's useless to this world. No one would ever like her anyway, why should she be let free? I'm full of friend. And I did the right thing getting rid of the floozy!».

The judge stood up, smashing his hammer on the desk with all the strength he had. «Enough! Guards, escort the real culprit to his jail, he will have a long time to understand what stupidity and ugliness truly mean».

The whole room watched in silence as Jeremy Cornell was badly caught by the shoulders and brought out, his face still as dark as a aubergine and the hideous insults coming out of his foaming mouth. It was a big change from the start of the trial, when no one could keep his mouth close and just talked and talked about how they wanted the boy condemned. But now that he was, the joy was so big that not a single mosquito could be heard, only the screaming voice of Jeremy Cornell being always lower.

The judge cleared his throat, the embarrassment strong. «The trial for the murder of Patricia Jerkigan has come to a conclusion. The real killer, Mister Jeremy Cornell, who could stand being dumped by his girlfriend, stalked her to the point that she had to hide herself; but he found her, and used her segregation in his favour, entering the room by the window and killing her. Then he left and faked his innocence by coming in once again, this time by the front door. Asking to be shown the storehouse and taking advantage of the defendant's resistance, he put the blame on her. Is it correct, Mr. Wright?».

«Yes», Phoenix agreed.

«Good. Then I'd like her to take the stand, so that I can declare her, without a sherd of doubt, _not guilty_!».

And in that moment the taciturn people started screaming and whistling, clapping their hand in support as Alicia's eye became teary and she started to cry for the emotion.

«You did it!» she managed to say between the sobbing, moving fast toward Phoenix but being soon assaulted by an overexcited Maya, who was even happier than her.

«Yes, I did it». Phoenix sighed, resting in front of the wall. The trial had taken all his force away and now he just wanted to rest a bit. It had been a great fight and thought he knew Jeremy was the real killer and the evidences were all in his favour, he wouldn't have expect for the process to last this long. Prosecutor Burnet had been low-key all the time, barely showing any evidence, yet she had jaded him.

 _What would she have done now_ , he thought, trying to see her behind the amount of people heading out, but when he finally spotted her bun she was too far away to be reached and didn't even turn around to watch him. Who knew if Phoenix would have come to face her again…

«Looks like someone was impressed by your lawyer ability» Maya commented in a grin, touching his shoulder.

«Prosecutor Burnet didn't spare me any glance».

«I'm not talking about her».

Phoenix could see Maya's finger appearing from behind him and pointing at a girl at the other side of the room, just next to the door. Long white hair, cold blue eyes,… She was the same girl that was staring at him that morning. And like that morning, Phoenix felt his heart clutching as he watched her, his stomach getting empty, then full, then empty again. She was so familiar and yet so unknown, and he couldn't help but feel that strange, burning sensation. But before he could make a step toward her, she had already moved out, disappearing in the same way Isabel Burnet did, surrounded by people.

«Who's the girl» Phoenix told to himself, low enough not be heard from Maya.

But the girl had focused on something else, namely coming their way, his faces visibly relaxed.

«So you're not only a beautiful lawyer but also a very smart one!» he said, giving Phoenix a good reason to run away.

«He's the best» Maya confirmed.

Alicia nodded her head with fervour. «I'm so very thankful for what you did for me, Mr. Wright».

«I would have never let you get a guilty verdict. I just wouldn't».

«Aren't you happy, Allie?».

«Yes» the girl replied, but her face grew darker and sadder. It was easy to understand why, Jeremy Cornell had said a lot of awful things about her during the trial, in spite of the fact that she admired both him and Patricia Jerkigan a lot.

«You shouldn't care about him, he even wanted you condemned» Maya tried to speak, lowering her head.

Alicia performed one of her usual fake smiles, the irony and self-pity all over the place. «Don't worry. It's not that I care. I'm not even surprised… Isn't that stupid, naïve, ugly and pathetic Allie Goodway the real me after all?».

«Don't even think about it not even for a moment!».

The four all turned to see a raging Leslie marching toward them with a face even darker than the day before, the vision of which caused a moment of fear in all of the presents.

«How many times should I tell you that you're beautiful, Allie?» she continued, hugging Miss Greenway so much that her bones cricked.

«It's useless for you to say so Leslie, I already know that-».

«You know nothing! How can you still react this way after that idiotic piece of burned bread treated you like that? You're naïve, it's true, but you're also kind and loyal and enjoyable and I like you so much, so you should just stop acting like there's nobody out there who could be friend with you. You only have to watch this way. All four of us are here for you, and we're here because we like that "Allie Goodway", even if she likes to drive us crazy saying nonsense things about her being pathetic or ugly! I should have thrown my apple at you, not at Jeremy as he was escorted».

«What did you do!?».

«Don't you dare interrupt me! From now on I'm going to take better care of you, Allie. I don't want to see you hurt ever again, we're going to work you're friendship skills till you understand who you can trust and who you cannot trust. First thing: if they have no respect for you, they're already out. Just burn their car or something!».

The brief moment following her last word was the signal the presents were waiting for for them to start talking –no one wanted to talk while the enraged fruit seller was still venting.

«Mamma mia, Lesluccia, you've been so sweet! I like your protective side so much, hug me too»

Marco opened his arms and tried to hug Miss Michaels but she pushed him and chilled him with a cold "Don't even think about it".

«So gelid» the man pouted. «But you said the truth. Alicia, you're adorable and I like you too, maybe even more than Leslie».

«I don't really think so» Leslie commented with vexation.

«You're beautiful, milady. Trust me, Patricia and Jeremy were barely two vain and self-centered idiots who weren't smart enough to see how beautiful you truly are. But the world is full of people who's just waiting for you to make their life even more magical. Wait and see. And if it's necessary, _I_ would be the one to introduce you to them».

«Here, that's the first person you have to cross out of your list of friends» Leslie insisted, watching him evilly. «But yes, you're truly beautiful».

Alicia smiled softly, but it was the first real smile they'd seen on her face that day so it brought peace to their heart anyway. «Mr. Wright said the same things this morning, I'm starting to believe it».

«He said what?». Leslie's eyes were on fire, her expression so threatening the attorney had to hide behind Maya, who laughed of the whole situation, alongside Marco.

«Yes, he said», her cheeks were as red as peppers, her eyes nearly dreamy, «that if it was him he would have chosen me over Patty».

«Oh, really?». Leslie's figure was more menacing than before.

Maya kept laughing. «Eh, he sure knows how to catch a woman's heart».

Mr. Rossi sighed. «He sure does…».

«Well, all's good what ends good».

The pair watched as the usually stoic Leslie Michaels was running after Phoenix with a chair up over her head, while Alicia tried to keep up with her and stop her.

«So Marco, do you want to eat something?».

If your friend's lips aren't available, I would really enjoy a steak, thank you».

«I know a very good restaurant, just come with me».

«All's good what ends good».

* * *

 **Next chapter** : When a murder takes place in one of the most dangerous areas of Los Angeles, Phoenix is forced to deal not only with a series of stubborn and strong-willed witnesses, but also with his own prejudices and preconceptions.


End file.
